So another thread ( https://lemmy.world/post/17746018 ) got me wondering… How many people would want to move to another country?
Just to provide a concrete scenario, let’s assume that in your current country you (magically) have a decent-ish job. They open up offices in another country of your choosing, and you have the option of moving there and work for an equivalent living wage.
They’re able to get visas set up (however improbable that may be) for you and any family, but you have to go through the process of finding housing, physically moving your belongings and anything else you need to set up.
What countries would you take the offer to move to, if any?
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Yes, I have done this several times for work. Digital nomad life that turned into starting a family that travels for work.
It’s difficult every time and sometimes you just have to admit that it isn’t going to work out in that country. Some countries have really strange attitudes or laws or systemic issues that you will not solve as an outsider. Sometimes people will just see you as a target or an opportunity for money and that’s never going to change.
Also looking back gives perspective; I had a difficult time in xxx country, but that was my first time overseas and I didn’t have quite a grasp of the language, and I was also unfairly comparing it to the USA. A decade later, I’ve been back a couple of times and now xxx is my favorite country. Five stages of grief and all. There’s more backstory but I can blend in a lot of countries.
Conversely, I went to some countries and saw how they are still very colonized from centuries of oppression. And then I go back to the USA sometimes and see the same mentality. Really shifts your perspective.
I was a child of a refugee so I always thought whatever complaints I had were nothing compared to what my parents went through. Also I had swastikas spray painted on my house when I was young so I never really fit in anywhere. Kind of keeps me going.
I feel more comfortable in some countries than my own home country. The USA has changed as much as I have over the past decade.
Finally, one semi-related point: I really, really learned to hate American missionaries. In every single country. They’re just the worst. I think they choose their countries and villages for some sort of confirmation bias to themselves that American Jesus is the best and only civilized way to live. They aren’t learning anything, just reinforcing their world view and not teaching anything useful. It’s just a way for middle aged white guys to get young girls from poor villages. They aren’t helping anything.
Not really. I live in Switzerland, thing is, there are no countries that surpass it in terms of safety, income, social security and political stability combined. For me at least it is the perfect country to live in.
I (originally from the US) moved to Germany with a Swiss girlfriend, so we visit Switzerland frequently and know the cultural/politics.
I find Germany to have much better social policies than Switzerland, such as better worker rights/conditions, public health insurance. The Swiss people voted against having minimum 5 weeks vacation and also just rejected caps on the private insurance minimum costs. The politics are much more conservative/individualistic compared to Germany. On a positive side, Switzerland probably has the best public transport system in Europe.
Not sure about social policies, for example homelessness exists here only by choice. Every citizen will get a roof over their head if necessary.
Medical insurance could be better but on the other hand we have one of the worlds best healthcare systems (for which I pay 200 bucks a month with a deductible of 2500.-).
And if the politics are conservative, which can’t really be as the conservatives have below 50% of the votes and results are usually determined by what the center party wants, that is what the people want (we all vote every 3 months on various issues) and I will respect that.
And even then, Germany may soon be controlled by CDU/Afd and I seriously doubt anyone would want to live in that kind of Germany.
we have one of the worlds best healthcare systems (for which I pay 200 bucks a month with a deductible of 2500.-).
Canada: 25th in the ranks, apparently, but 0 and 0. While I didn’t mind paying the premiums - and it slid with my income - the idea of a deductible/copay/user-fee I find abhorrent, chilling and the wrong way down a slippery slope.
I did not say it is free, but the price to performance ratio is quite good. Cost however is increasing slowly but steadily which is a bit scary.
no countries that surpass it
Humblebrag, eh?
I had the chance to join Google (Zurich?) 2014, but it got kiboshed when we weren’t sure we both could get along with just English, and her with no ability to work. So we asked for Ireland, but they don’t work like that. And we were out.
Basically everyone speaks some English, wouldn’t have been an issue. And I am not saying everything is perfect, just that there is no better alternative.
I moved from US to Canada with a whole lot less lined up
How did it work out?
I’d take an offer to work from home on a house boat and go sailing around the world I feel like I’d end up making a lot of new customs officer friends XD
I’d take a little canal boat in Amsterdam. Though learning Dutch sounds like a PITA.
It’s probably the easiest language for a native English speaker to learn
It is. Our grammar rules are nonsensical and Dutch is useless outside of the Netherlands and Belgium.
I would and I did. Nearly on a lark I decided to move to Norway right as the pandemic started appearing on cruise ships. I got a job within two weeks and they handled the immigration process for the most part. It wasn’t simple but it was pretty straight forward.
And it was worth it, big time.
So, for context - I live in Scotland and I guess I feel a cultural connection with being Scottish. I even have a domain with a .scot tld.
But at the same time… I know the UK is kind of slipping back in terms of social issues - starting to feel like a “mini US” than a state with european standards.
So yeah, I’m torn between staying here and moving to some as of yet unknown country with better rights…
Although, since I basically never travel and nothing is really infringing my freedom (yet …), I’ll probably not actually do anything even if I wanted to.
Steady on, I only just got to Australia!
But it’s New Zealand.
Hey greetings from Aussie land
Piggy backing answer to op, I did that already. Twice.
Honestly, comparing 1st world to 3rd where I come from, employment is so easy!
I did, moved from France to Canada
I did the opposite lol.
Did you have any problem with the French?
I haven’t given up on being a stick in the mud keeping Austin a little different from other parts of Texas. The loudest idiots in this state rebuke Austin as something un-Texan, but I’m not going anywhere and am continuing to live and vote the way I do. I know it’s a little easier for me to say this, not having to worry about kids, so I don’t expect others to make the same choice, even if they feel the same way.
Yes. In fact it’s a done deal.
Israeli, I’ve been considering this for several years but the impact on the family seemed too big. Since the war with Gaza, and the the political situation, the impact seems with it. Last week I’ve started looking for options.
Anywhere that has quality public transit, reliable internet and is located near a beach.
More and more I want to now. I’m growing to really have a high level of disdain for this country and it’s lack of doing anything for the worse off.
I always wanted to move to Sweden. My grandfather was born there and I have always loved visiting.
It was a nice country but it’s getting poor and has many problems now due to unlimited immigration the last few decades. Much violence and murders now.
The classic Sweden that I grew up in is gone. But it’s still better than USA of course. If you avoid the big cities, it’s still a bit like it used to be though.
The best country in the Nordics is now Norway I would say.
I live in the PNW of Canada. It’s expensive, but I love it here and wouldn’t move unless I absolutely had to.
I moved here from England. I love it and would never go back.
I love that everyone else here is saying they’d move to Canada. I also live in the PNW and as much as I hate how expensive it is, I do not see myself wanting to go anywhere else. Somewhere else in the province? Maybe. But it’s fucking beautiful here and I’m not gonna pretend it’s not.
